A reflection on regional benefits. by Johan Hamster (Province of Groningen), Arjen Nolles (Municipality Het Hogeland), Lijs Groenendaal (RWE) and Arjan Sixma (Engie)

Johan Hamster representative of the Province of Groningen will reflect on the regional benefits of 'Future of Groningen.

Groningen's Hydrogen Valley is unique in that the entire value chain is being developed simultaneously in the region. So 'the hard core' - production, transport, storage and large-scale application - is important, but also 'the softer follow-up', such as:

1. Measures to combat energy poverty and crumbling support.

   It cannot be true that the region that has supplied our country and surrounding countries with gas for decades, and supplies roughly one-third of our country's electricitym, presents the highest energy poverty. Thus, to restore confidence and support, it seems advisable to address this quickly.

2. Measures to support local SMEs.

   Many SMEs in the region are looking for ways to green their energy supply. Electrification is an option, but this increasingly encounters long-term bottlenecks related to demand congestion on the grid and uncertain power prices. Green hydrogen or possibly green gas from the region is a good alternative, if available at acceptable and (via long-term contracts) stable prices.

3. Measures to strengthen innovation capacity and employment.

   Projections broadly indicate that the replacement of current natural gas activities with hydrogen activities can ensure that the jobs lost in the natural gas sector can be (more than) compensated by those in the new hydrogen activities. However, the net employment effect increases substantially if the region succeeds in becoming a major innovation hub. Therefore, it is important that the education, research and testing activities in the Northern region be bundled and strengthened as soon as possible into a Hydrogen Valley Campus of European stature.